Method of producing carbureted gas and hydrocarbon motor fuel



Feb. 23, 1932. c. J. RAMSBURG 1,346,403

METHOD OF PRODUCING CARBURE'I'ED GAS AND HYDROCARBON IOTOR FUEL Filed Feb. 12. 1927 INVENTOR 3.11 Hamburg.

'3- ;Y W J ATTOREYj 5 Patented Feb. 23 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES J. RAMSBURG, OF EDGEWORTH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE KOPPERS COMPANY, A GORLPORATION OF DELAWARE METHOD OF PRODUCING CARBURETED GAS AND HYDRDCARBON'MOTOR FUEL Application filed February 12, 1927. Serial No. 167,609.

This invention relates to a method of augmenting the volume of a hydrocarbon fuel gas and concurrently producing a hydrocarbon motor fuel.

An object of my invention is to provide a method of so modifying or reforming coal gas to produce a carbureted gas of greater volume but substantially the same specific gravity and thermal value as the original gas and in such manner as to concurrently produce hydrocarbon motor fuel.

A second object of my invention is to 1ncrease the yield and quality of hydrocarbon motor fuel obtainable in a method of jointly manufacturing carbureted gas and hydro carbon motor fuel.

My invention has for further objects such other new and useful operative advantages and results as may hereinafter be found to obtain.

In my copending application, Serial No. 157,874, filed Dec. 29, 1926, I have described and claimed a method of decomposing or modifying coal gas and of producing therefrom an increased volume of reformed or carbureted gas of thermal value and specific gravity substantially equal to those of coal gas. This method consists briefly in passing coal gas through a bed of incandescent carbonaceous material with or Without added steam, subsequently carbureting said gas, and controlling the flow of gas, steam, and oil to produce a reformed gas of characteristics similar to the original coal gas.

During the passage of coal gas through incandescent carbonaceous material, as set forth g in my above-recited application, such hydrocarbons as methane and ethylene that are present in coal gas are decomposed, with resultant liberation of hydrogen and carbon. The latter is either deposited, or gasified as carbon monoxide by means of the attendant steam. This, in turn, results in the production of an increased amount of low-gravity gas of high hydrogen content.

A typical example of coal gas produced in by-product coke ovens contains about 46% of free hydrogen, 34% of methane and 2.5% of ethylene. This gas has a calorific value of approximately 540 B. t. u. per cu. ft. and a specific gravity of approximately 0.4. De-

composition of all of the ethylene and less than half of the methane, accomplished by passing this gas through a bed of incandescent carbonaceous material without carburetion, results in the formation of about 1.5 volumes of gas per unit volume of the original gas, and containing about 65% of free hydrogen. The decomposed gas, in this instance, would have a calorific value of approximately 390 B. t. u. and a specific gravity of approximately 0.32. Theoretically, it is possible to decompose all of the ethylene and all of the methane in the original gas, in this manner producing for every one volume of original coal gas about 2.1 volumes of reformed gas containing about 73.6% of free hydrogen. In general, however, the conditions under which the decomposition takes place are regulated to produce a gas containing at least 60% by volume of free hydrogen.

In comparison with the above results, it may be stated that blue water gas contains approximately 50% of free hydrogen.

It has been proposed to control the conditions of Water gas carburetion, especially with regard to temperature, time of contact, and

,amount of oil added for carbure'tion, so as to produce carbureted gas and also a considerable amount of hydrocarbon motor fuel.

This procedure involves a type of enriching operation dissimilar to that carried on in regular water-gas carburetion, and in which the free hydrogen of the gas plays an important part in the breaking-down of the relatively heavy hydrocarbon oil or other carbureting agent added to relatively light hydrocarbons and permanent gas.

By reason of its largely increased percentage of free hydrogen, decomposed coal gas as produced by passing coal gas through a bed of incandescent carbonaceous material is superior to blue Water gas with regard to its use in such a method of ointly manufacturing carbureted gas and hydrocarbon mot-or fuel resulting product-ion of increased amounts of the latter. Moreover, it is possibe so to control conditions of carburetion that there is obtained a reformed carbureted gas of thermal value and specific gravity substantially .equalto that of coal gas and also a considerablequantity of hydrocarbon motor fuel.

In order that my invention may be clearly set forth and understood, I will now describe I with reference to the-accompanying drawing the preferred manner in which it is practiced and embodied, without limiting my invention to such illustrative instance or embodiment.

Inthe drawing, the single figure is a view, partially in section and artially in elevation, of apparatus for pro ucing coal gas and for subsequently reforming and carbureting the same in accordance with my invention. Apparatus is also illustrated for treating the gas to remove impurities therefrom accord ally a portion of a coke oven for the distillation of coal, shown in vertical section. The

' coke oven is a well-known type, provided with a carbonizing chamber 2 and regenerators 3 for preheating air and gas required for heating the oven. Gas produced from the coal carbonized within the chamber 2 is withdrawn through a standpipe 4 and enters. a hydraulic collecting main 5. The gas is then passed through the usual apparatus provided for coolingand condensing the same and for removing tar and ammonia therefrom.

This apparatus consists of a primary cooler 6, a tar extractor 7, an exhauster 8, a reheater 9, a saturator 10 and a separator 11. The exhauster 8 is usually provided adjacent to the tar extractor 7 for withdrawing the gas from theovens and forcing it through subsequent apparatus. After the gas leaves the separator 11, it passes into a gas holder 12, where a reserve accumulation is maintained and from which fuel gas for underfiring the coke oven and gas for the cracking operation are supplied.

That portion of the gas required as fuel for the coke ovens 1 is withdrawn from the gas holder 12 and passes through conduit 13 to a fuel gas main 14, from which it is supplied to the combunstion flues of the coke ovens 1. By provision of gas mains 15, producer gas or other gas may be supplied to the coke ovens for fuel in place of coal gas. When such gas is used, no coal gas need be withdrawn for fuel purposes.

For decomposing and then carbureting the coal gas to reform it, I provide the usual water-gas set, comprising a generator 17, a carbureter 18 and a superheater 19. The generator 17 is adapted to receive and contains.

bed of carbonaceous material 20, while the interiors of the carbureter 18 and the superheater 19 are filled with checkerwork 22 and 23, respectively, which serve as heat accumulators. The generator 17 ,is supplied with an air-blast connection 24, steam connections 25 and 26, and conduits 27 and 28 for introducing coal gas. A blower 29 is provided for withdrawing coal gas from the gas holder 12 and supplying it through either conduit.

27 or 28 to the generator 17.

Conduits 30 and 31 that are equipped with the usual type of hot valve 33 are provided for conducting gas from the generator 17 to the carbureter 18, while the carbureter 18 is provided with a valved oil supply line 34 and a secondary air connection 35. A conduit 36 is provided for conducting gas from the lower portion of the carbureter 18 to the superheater 19, and the superheater 19 is provided with a stack valve connection 37 and an outlet conduit 38 which enters a wash box or tar batter 39. The wash box 39 is provided with an outlet conduit 40 and with water sprays 41. Regulation of steam admitted through conduits 25 and 26 is accomplished by means of .valves 44 and 45, respectively] Regulation of the addition of hydrocarbon enriching agent is accomplished by means of a valve 46 in line 34.

The operation of my invention is preferably conducted as follows: Coal gas is produced in the coke oven 1, cooled and treated for the removal of ammonia and tar in the appropriate apparatus and accumulated inthe storage holder 16 to be supplied as required to the quondam water-gas set. The interior of the generator 17 contains a bed 20 of solid carbonaceous fuel such as coal or coke which is blasted to incandescence by means of air introduced through the air blastconnection 24. The products of partial combustion pass through conduit 30 into the carbureter 18, where secondary air is admitted for further combustion through the connection 35. In passing through the carbureter 18 and the superheater 19, the sensible heat andthe heat of combustion of the air blast gas is absorbed by the checkerwork 22 and 23 and the blast gas then passes through the stack connection 37 into a waste heat boiler (not shown) or into the atmosphere.

When the bed of carbonaceous material 20 within the generator 17 has been raised to incandescence and the temperature of the checkerwork 22 and 23 is, preferably, about 1000 F., the air is shut off and coal gas is introduced to the generator 17 through conduit 27 or conduit 28, passing either upwardly or downwardly through the incandescent car- The deco'miosed coal as asses throu h conduit 30 or 31, as the case may be, into the interior of the carburetor 18. Hydrocarbon oil of the usual character used for carbureting purposes for example, a relatively heavy oil of which so-called bunker oil is an example, is introduced through the valved spray 34 in quantity more than sufficient to carburet the gas and the resultant oil gas and vaporized hydrocarbons are carried by the coal gas through the heated checkerwork 22 and 23 of the carbureter 18 and superheater 19, respectively. During the passage of the mixed gases and vapors through said checkerwork, cracking takes place, which, in the presence of the large amount of hydrogen of said decomposed coal gas, results not only in carburetion of the gas, but also in the production of a considerable amount of volatile hydrocarbon motor fuel that has taken into combination a large quantity of such hydrogen.

This motor fuel is carried along by the gas to pass through the conduit 38 to enter the wash-box 39, where it is washed with water introduced through the sprays 41 and cooled. Spraying the gas with water in this manner also effects a condensation and removal of the vaporized hydrocarbon motor fuels that result from cracking and hydrogenation of the carbureting oil, and which are entrained in the gas. The water and motor fuel are withdrawn through a sealed conduit 42,. to enter a separator 43, while the gas passes through conduit into the by-product apparatus or into the mains (not shown). The separated oil and Water pass out of the seprator 13 through conduits and 51, respectively.

By controlling the temperature conditions, the rate of flow of the gas, and the amount of oil added, the thermal value and specific gravity of the decomposed and carbureted gas may be controlled and adjusted to secure a re formed gas of thermal value and specific gravity similar to those of coal gas. If regulation of heat and oil alone does not prove sufficient, further control and regulation of the specific gravity and thermal value may be accomplished by means of regulated amounts of steam introduced through either conduit 25 or conduit 26, although the amount of water gas thereby produced from decomposition may be only a small proportion of the total gas.

Thus, in the specific instance mentioned hereinabove, approximately 1.8 volumes of final carbureted gas may be obtained from 1.0 volume of coal gas, the thermal values and specific gravities of the initial and final gases, respectively, being substantially the same.

With regard to the regulated amount of carbureting oil introduced, it may be said that it is preferably to introduce as high a quantity of oil as can advantageously be converted into fixed gas and light hydrocarbon oil at the temperatures maintained and in the presence of the hydrogen contained in the decomposed coal gas.

When the temperature of the checker-work be divided into up and down runs and the like, as in usual water-gas practice, and the duration of the runs and airblast periods will depend upon the temperatures and conditions of cracking. I

It will be apparent to. those skilled in the art that the actual conditions of practice will vary according to the nature of coal gas, depth of the bed, the rate of flow of the gas, the

amount of oil and steam, temperature of the apparatus, and the like, but also that, according to my invention, these various conditions may be so regulated that a reformed and carbureted gas of a specific gravity and thermal value and substantially equal to those of coal gas and also a considerable amount of valuable hydrocarbon motor fuel may be obtained.

It will also be apparent that the apparatus of my invention may be comprised of units not only well known in themselves but available and already in place in many modern gas plants, i. e., the coke oven and the water-gas set. However, my invention is not limited to performance in this specific apparatus, but may be accomplished in any other apparatus capable of performing similar functionsfor example, the original gas may be produced in vertical retorts, low temperature carbonization retorts, or other carbonizing apparatus.

Nor is my invention limited to the specific examples given hereinabove by way of example but it may be variously embodied or practiced within the scope of the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of augmenting the volume of a fuel gas containing substantial amounts of methane and concurrently producing a hydrocarbon motor fuel in apparatus which includes a decomposing chember adapted to contain a bed of solid carbonaceous fuel, and carbureting apparatus containing refractory material located in series therewith, which comprises at intervals blasting said fuel bed to incandescence with air and burning the resultant air blast gases to heat said refractory material to a temperature of from about 800 F. to about 1000 F., at other intervals passing said methane-containing gas through said bed of incandenscene fuel to produce a gas containing at least by volume of free hydrogen, passing the decomposed gas over said previously heated refractory material,

l carbureting the'gas during its assage over said heated refractory material y introducand carbureting apparatus containing refractory material located in series therewith, which comprises at intervals blasting said fuel bed to incandescence with air and burningithe resultant air blast gases to heat said refractory material to a temperature of from about 800 F. to about 1000 F., at other intervals passing said coal gas through said bed of incandescent fuel to produce a gas containing at least 60% by volume of free hydrogen, passing the decomposed gas over said previously heated refractory material, carbureting the gas during its passage over said heated refractory material by introducing thereto an excess of heavy hydrocarbon regulating the rate of flow of the as and addition of oil to produce a car ureted gas and a surplus of hydrocarbon motor fuel, and separating said hydrocarbon motor fuel from said carbureted gas.

3. The method of augmenting the volume of coal gas and concurrently producing a hydrocarbon motor fuel in apparatus which includes a decomposing chamber adapted to gontain a bed of solid carbonaceous fuel, and carbureting apparatus containing refractory material located in series therewith, which comprises at intervals blasting said vfuel bed to incandescence with air and burnin the resultant air blast gases to heat said re ractory containing at least 60 per cent by volume of free hydrogen, passing the decomposed gas over said previously heated refractory ma terial, carbureting the gas during its passage over said refractory material b introducing thereto an excess of heavy hy rocarbon oil,

regulating the rate of'flow of the gas and the addition of oil to roduce a carbureted gas and a surplus of ydrocarbon motor fuel, and separating said hydrocarbon motor fuel from said carbureted gas.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this llth day of February,

1927. CHARLES J. 'RAMSBURG.

material to a temperature of from about 800 F to about;1( )00 F., at other intervals passing said coal gas through said bed of incandescent fuel to produce a gas containing at least 60%.by volumeof free hydrogen, passing thedecomposed gas over said previously heated refractory material, carbureting the as during its passage over said heated re- ?ractory material by introducing thereto an excess of heavy hydrocarbon oil, regulating the temperature, the rate of flow of the coal gas, and the addition of oil to produce a carbureted and reformed gas of thermal value and specific gravity'substantially the same as those of coal gas and asurplus of hydrocarbon motor fuel, and separating said hy drocarbon motor fuel from said carbureted and reformed gas.

- 4. The method of augmenting the volume of coal gas and concurrently producing a hydrocarbon motor fuel in apparatus which includes an externally heated coking chamber, 

